US Defense Secretary holds phone talk with Turkish counterpart

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke by phone with Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar on June 19, Report informs with reference to the US Department of Defense.

The officials discussed bilateral cooperation and maintaining a continued diplomatic presence in Afghanistan.

The US Secretary reaffirmed the importance of the longstanding US-Turkey defense relationship and thanked the Turkish minister for the continuous communication and cooperation on peace and security issues.